Bloodrage
by goldenpath
Summary: Liara is frustrated with Shepard's sparring activities and goes to Aethyta for advice.


Aethyta, in a defensive stance with her head down, reached up to wipe a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, her smirk transforming into a knowing grin. She slowly looked up at her horrified youngest daughter, brown eyes alight with amusement as she drawled, "It's alright, Liara, like I said before, you're a quarter krogan, headbutting is a genetic tendency."

* * *

_Earlier that day_

Liara couldn't find Shepard anywhere, and that could only mean one thing: she was fighting with James. Again. "Sparring," as the co-conspirators liked to call it. The first time Shepard had come to visit her after a sparring match with Vega, Liara had been horrified at the cuts and bruises to her only love's hands and right cheekbone.

"You should see the other guy?" Shepard had tried to jest, the joke falling flat as soon as she saw Liara's displeased look. Despite the marine's best assurances, Liara couldn't understand that a.) she and James weren't angry at each other and b.) that it was somehow fun. Let alone the fact that Shepard would put her body through that sort of punishment between already brutal missions. "Liara, it's just blowing off a little steam and frustration. Dr. Chakwas will patch us right up…even if she isn't always terribly happy with us afterwards," Shepard had explained, mumbling the last part a bit. It all seemed terribly visceral to Liara, like something only krogan would do.

With a sigh of exasperation, Liara asked Glyph to inform her if Shepard sustained any injuries within the next few hours. She _could_ tap into EDI's system and watch a live feed of Shepard's latest brawl but decided against it. The _Normandy_ was currently docked at the Citadel, and being on the Presidium was a nice distraction from thinking about Shepard and their friends beating each other senseless. She did want to visit with her father, Aethyta, the next time the Normandy was docked at the Citadel, after all.

Discovering who her father was through the Broker's network was easy enough, but accepting it was another story. Aethyta was a seemingly rough, opinionated asari who could be extremely aggravating at times, but Liara had grown to respect her and even care for her. Even still, it was difficult to imagine Aethyta and mother as bondmates; the two seem like oil and water. Where Aethyta would bash heads to make a point, Benezia would gently guide and maneuver so that the one being led would eventually reach the desired conclusion as if it were their own to begin with. Liara supposed that opposites may attract, but apparently they don't always stay together if her fatherless childhood was any indication.

* * *

Aethyta idly cleaned a glass while watching Liara stalk about the presidium out of the corner of her eye. _I guess this is our game now, I pretend to work while she pretends like the reason she's on this level isn't coming to see me_. Liara had made a habit to stop by every time the _Normandy_ docked, and Aethyta _might_ have a VI programmed to keep track of the _Normandy's_ whereabouts to ensure that she happened to be bartending on the days when the ship is docked. It had almost become a comfortable routine for the unlikely father and daughter.

Aethyta didn't think that she'd ever get the chance to have a relationship with her youngest after Nezzy left, and she sure wasn't going to waste the rare second chance she'd been given. When the matriarchs wanted someone to keep an eye out on Liara after Shepard's ...disappearance, she didn't hesitate to take it. If she couldn't be in her youngest daughter's life in a normal fashion, she damned well could watch out for her in that way. She never expected to be able to do more than watch from afar, but fate had other plans for them, apparently.

As Liara finally approached with a scowl on her face, Aethyta put the now cleaned glass down and got out another, filling both with asari honey mead.

"Hey kid, what's your problem today?"

Liara took the offered glass and sipped. With a sigh, she explained to her father Shepard's penchant for fisticuffs, and that how it was claimed to be a method for her and some of the other crewmembers to relax.

"I don't understand it. It seems so archaic and barbaric, like something only krogan would do!"

Aethyta gave Liara a hard, appraising look. This was not the response Aethyta had expected from an experienced biotic warrior, let alone her own daughter, DNA be damned. How the maiden made it this far without her sage advice she'd never know.

"Well, my dad was a krogan…so that makes you a quarter krogan," Aethyta explained with a wry smile.

"That's…that's not how it works!" Liara said in exasperation.

"I'm a thousand years old. I've had kids with hanar. Don't tell me how asari reproduction works. Anyway, you shouldn't be so quick to judge some of the other race's stress relieving activities. Speaking of which, don't tell me that you two don't-"

Liara was quick to cut her off, "PLEASE don't go there, not again. At least not today."

Aethyta just chuckled, "Alright, alright! Don't go all bloodrage on me, sheesh! You've been in battle before; don't you enjoy it even just a little bit? That moment when it's either you or your enemy and you crush them with your biotics?"

"The battles that I have been in with Shepard have had too much at risk for me to focus on such base instincts. Besides, fighting friends for fun hardly seems to serve the same purpose."

Aethyta hung her head, her demeanor quickly becoming serious. "This is something that I can help you with, kid. I know I missed out on a lot when you were growing up, so let me do this for you. Meet me out back in 15."

* * *

Liara waited in the alley behind Apollo's café, not sure what mischief her father was up to. Aethyta did seem sincere in her desire to help, but Liara couldn't help the sense of dread she felt over what Aethyta had planned. She didn't have to wait long for Aethyta to show up with some large, padded gloves.

"Never got to teach ya this stuff as a kid, but it's never too late for you to learn how to fight," Aethyta gruffly explained.

Liara replied coolly, "I know how to fight, father. I have my biotics and am more than proficient with my carnifax. I spent years training with mother's commandos mastering those skills."

Aethyta swiped a hand dismissively and shook her head. "No, no, no! That's not the same. You don't know what it's like to fight at your most primal, fist against fist! No fancy biotics or weapons or dashing Spectre girlfriends around, just rough and tumble sparring. I used to do it with my dad, and it's about damn time that I passed it along to you. We're gonna use gloves this time, because I'd hate to have to kill your girlfriend if she comes after me for roughing you up too bad."

_I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she was somehow able to produce gloves that quickly, human styled ones no less. This can't be happening._ Liara, eventually acquiescing that this was _definitely_ happening, replied with a sigh, "There's no way I'm talking you out of this, is there?"

Aethyta, sensing her victory was close at hand, smiled and passed Liara a pair of boxing gloves. "Alright, go on, let's see what you've got. Free hit." Aethyta explained, putting her gloved hands up slightly.

Liara, still not entirely sure how she had gotten herself in this situation, weakly tapped her father on the shoulder with a gloved hand. She wasn't really interested in hurting her father and even less so in fighting. _Perhaps if I just throw a weak punch she'll give up and we can be done with this foolishness, _she thought_._

"Is that seriously all you've got? I give you a free hit and it was as hard as a baby salarian's fart! I take back what I said earlier, you must be good at some stress relief if Shepard's kept you around on the _Normandy_ for this long with that weak of a punch! Goddess above, I've really failed as a father, even more than I originally thought. Don't take it easy on me just because I'm a matriarch, and don't underestimate your opponents!" Aethyta exclaimed, every few words punctuated with jabs and feints, ending with a solid right hook to the side of Liara's face.

Liara's biotics flared and blazed all over her skin, anger flashing in her eyes. _I'm an asset on the Normandy, to Shepard, and not just because of our relationship! I go with every ground team, fight every mission, how dare she suggest otherwise!_

Aethyta stood in place with a smirk on her face. Her father's smugness combined with the shock of being hit in the face put Liara over the edge. Before she knew what was happening, Liara threw her head forward, making contact with Aethyta's nose and mouth. Panting for breath, and processing what had just transpired, Liara heard a familiar voice call out.

"Hey Liara, I've been looking everywhere for you… great flying spaghetti monster! What the hell is going on here?!" Shepard had walked up, with Liara's favorite flowers in hand, just in time to see Liara headbutt her own father.

"It's alright, Liara, like I said you're a quarter krogan, headbutting is a genetic tendency," Aethyta replied, not looking over to Shepard.

Liara, blushing furiously from cheek to crest, stammered out a reply. "I…I don't know what came over me! Aethyta insulted me…us!"

Shepard and Aethyta both attempted to stifle their laughter but failed miserable as their eyes met. Aethyta nodded her head to Shepard, and said, "Yeah…uh… I was just trying to teach Liara here about sparring. I kept warning her about the risks of going into a bloodrage, but she just wouldn't listen."

Shepard managed to get a reply out between her laughter, "Bloodrage, huh? Does asari reproduction work like tha-,"

"Let me educate you, Shepard, since my daughter here obviously hasn't: it IS how it works, unless you missed the headbutting that just happened."

Shepard started to join in on Aethyta teasing, but noticed that Liara's biotics were starting to spark again, so she wisely decided against it and lamely held out the flowers she was still clutching.

"I, ah, I got these for you… they look a little worse for wear, but I've been looking for you everywhere for the last hour. Tali is upgrading my omni, so I've been hoofing it around the Citadel looking for you. I made reservations at that restaurant you've been wanting to try; I figured we could use an evening get away."

Liara was left speechless as she took in the sight of Shepard hopefully holding out the withered bouquet of Thessian flowers, a tenative smile on her face. Liara's face flushed even further as she fully realized the consequences of her assumption that Shepard was off boxing again. Somehow, she ended up in a sparring match instead, with her father no less. _Time to fess up._

"I thought that you were off fighting with Vega when I couldn't find you earlier, so I left the ship to speak to Aethyta...about..."

"You," Aethyta interrupted, pointedly staring at Shepard.

"..and it somehow escalated into...this," Liara finished with gesture.

Shepard walked forward and enveloped Liara in a hug, "No worries, Li. I'm sorry that it bothers you so much when I spar with the crew, but honestly it's just for fun. I wouldn't risk putting myself in danger. Especially now that I've seen the mean headbutt you pack!"

"This whole thing really is your fault!" Liara said, playfully attempting to escape Shepard's grasp and failing. From there, the lovers devolved into quiet giggles and whispered words.

"Ugh, goddess, get a room you two."

"That's the plan, anyway," Shepard replied, taking Liara's hand and heading back towards the Presidium for their date night.

Aethyta watched the two walking away hand-in-hand, both still lightheartedly bantering back and forth over who had the better headbutt. Smiling, she reached up to touch her tender nose and was certain that it'd need some medigel later. The kid packed quite a punch when goaded into it. _I knew Liara had some of my spirit mixed in with Nezzy's, deep down. She just needed a little help bringing it out._

A/N: Well, this is my very first time writing fanfiction of any sort! I originally posted this an embarrassingly long time ago on the kmeme for a prompt, under a different title, and left it unfinished. I finally found the will to complete it then polish out the rough edges recently, and decided to just post the final version here on ff. I hope that you enjoyed it, and thank you for reading!


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